How personal is this film to you? Was it your own passion for Heavy Metal music that triggered your desire to make Metalhead?Ragnar Bragason: I grew up listening to Heavy Metal music as a teenager. For many years I tried to find a story where I could incorporate the music in a film. Usually when Heavy Metal is portrayed in film the focus is on the comical aspects, which is easy as it’s such an extreme form of music. But I wanted to feature the music in a more serious way so that it would affect the dramatic elements of the story. I also relate to the main character as I grew up in a small rural community.
After the low budget dramas Children and Parents, the popular ‘Shift’ TV series and BO hit Mr Bjarnfredarson that were largely male-oriented, you have a young girl as main character in this family drama. Why this choice?
RB: Last year I wrote and directed my first play at the Reykjavik City Theatre (for which Bragason won a Best Director award) where the focus was on women. My previous works were about men in crisis and I was a bit bored with male characters. I needed to try new things. Everything I’ve been writing recently revolves around women. Usually when I write a story some visuals come to my mind. I had the image of a girl dressed in a leather jacket holding a flying-v guitar on a dairy farm. I liked the contrasts.
Thora Bjorg Helga had only appeared in one film before (The Deep) yet her performance as the rebellious Hera is a tour de force. How did you get that range of emotions out of her?
RB: In a lot of my earlier work the starting point was creating characters with the actors through improvisation. But with Metalhead I wanted to go back to traditional filmmaking. I wrote the script then discussed the parts with the actors, developing the characters further. I got to know Thora Bjorg four years ago when she was in the acting school and I was teaching a workshop there. I knew from day one I wanted her to play the main part. She has a natural gift and it was written with her in mind.
The parents -wonderfully played by Ingvar Sigurdsson and Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir- show an incredible dignity and the intimate way in which they deal with the loss of their son reminded me of Ordinary People. The difference here is that they stick together and ultimately their love is what saves the family unit…
RB: Although the music can be brutal and hard, the story itself is emotional. Ultimately the film is about how art helps us and acts as a catharsis. It's a story of grief, how we deal with it in different ways. I wanted to bring in a positive meaning and focus on the family unit.
The community sticks together despite the traumatic and sacrilege experience of Hera’s burning of the local church. Is this strong sense of community still very much alive in Iceland or is your film a bit nostalgic?
RB: I would say it is still a reality but maybe a little bit nostalgic. When I look back at my childhood growing up in a small village of 200 people, it didn’t matter if you were 6 or 66 years old; we all lived together and shared things. People took care of each other. Today the focus has shifted to consumerism and people are more isolated. I wanted to look back at simpler and perhaps more positive times. Of course you can still find this feeling and rural communities, but there are fewer and fewer farmers every year in Iceland. We have a lot of big industrial farms now. But in terms of church going, it’s still very present. We’re not a very religious country but a lot of people sing in a church choir because it gives a sense of belonging. And being a metalhead is in essence about wanting to belong.
What’s next for you?
RB: I’m writing a new play which will premiere in January in Reykjavik. I’m also working on a film with Zik Zak Filmworks that's my first book adaptation, based on Steinar Bragi’s 2011 novel ‘The Highlands’. It could be described as a psychological horror film. I am also working on a TV project for RUV called Prisoners, mixing a gritty drama with politics. It’s about two sisters. One is sent to a women’s prison while the other is running for office in Iceland. Two actors, Nina Dögg Filippusdóttir (who plays the mother in Children) and Unnur Ösp Stefánsdóttir came up with the idea. I’m working on it with them along with the writers Jóhann Ævar Grímsson (The Shift series) and Margrét Örnólfsdóttir (Pressa). The project will be produced by Mystery Island (Metalhead).
After Toronto you and Thora Björg have signed a representation deal with the US talent agency APA. What does it mean for you?
RB: They have great ideas on how to help us do different things. It also comes at a good time as the new Icelandic government has proposed to cut the film budget by 42%. My dream is to remain in Iceland and do work in the Icelandic language but if it’s not feasible, I still have to make a living. APA can open doors and enables me to do my own work in different settings. Plus for Thora Björg it’s a fantastic opportunity. The agency is also representing Olafur Darri Olafsson (lead in The Deep). He had a part in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and parts in TV series in the US so I hope Thora Björg will get a break over there as well.